10 months of little things

To our baby doodle,

As we get closer to your first birthday, I have started building a scrapbook for you. Every hour that I spend with all those photographs is daunting. It seems like you were born yesterday and also a thousand years ago.

You have grown into such a little personality! You are full of loud squeals, big smiles and a pout that makes my stomach ache. As we get ready for a shift in our routine, I can't help but feel a little bit sorry for you. Will you be confused? Will you be sad? Maybe you won't miss your mama and will love every minute you spend with your dad or new nanny.

Henson, just so you know, I have enjoyed every single minute of our time together. I can't believe how lucky I am to have watched you grow these last ten (almost eleven) months. I won't lie, it hasn't been easy and you have tested my abilities in a million ways but I have learned so much about myself. I have learned so much about my patience, ability to cope and the insane amount of love I have in my heart. You went from a blobby newborn into this little person with preferences and characteristics.

You really enjoy:

all kinds of melon

cheerios

the garden hose

climbing in Cookie's bed

standing up

flipping through books

crawling, crawling, crawling

playing outside
clapping

You dislike: 

getting your diaper changed

Things to look forward to:

eating fall foods like soup and squash
the harvest
sleeping through the night?

I can't believe it is the middle of August. Time flies when you are having fun. It also flies when you have a perfect baby that wants to play all the time. We certainly had a great summer. 

If we all take a minute it is easy to remember why we are all here. 

We love you. Love, your Mama.

photo an hour: at home with a baby

A few of my friends have asked me what I did all day as a stay at home mom. Although I would like to say I had loads of time to blog and create jewelry, that is simply not true. Between feeding, changing and trying to keep a very mobile Henson out of trouble, my days are really busy.
Usually, Henson wakes up at 5:00 but we try to keep things quiet until 6.

6am: Coffee and Kitty stares.

7:00 play after breakfast

8:00 Walk along the river. Pat and I chat while Henson naps in his stroller.

9:00 met this guy on our way back to the car

10:15 Pat's car ran out of gas and I had to go save him!

11:30ish lunch

12:00 cutting up beets for dinner

1:00-2:30ish nap time 

3:30 tidying up the nursery for a future blog post

4:30 enjoying the beautiful weather

5:00 Cookie looking for dinner

5:30 books before dinner

6:30 finishing up dinner/ getting ready for a bath

7:00 bath and sleep coaxing (no photo because this time of day can be a struggle)

7:45/ 8ish dinner and a moment of peace

9:00 Pat gets home and we hang out until Henson wakes up somewhere between 10 and 11. I hope this wake up will eventually go away and he will sleep until midnight or later. We'll see. 

Documenting a regular day was interesting. It is crazy that the chaos and energy cannot really be expressed through photographs. I will miss these days but am so grateful I was able to have them. Thanks for looking. Love, Ms. Kate.

family project 31

Our new glass door is too much fun! These boys are hilarious. Hope everyone is having a good week. Thanks for looking. Love, Ms. Kate.

Linking up with Jodi's awesome project

August 2014

Happy August everyone! Since it is August first, I thought I would tell you all my exciting news! In roughly three weeks my family will begin a new chapter in our adventure because I am returning to work! Yippeeee!!!

When we found out I was pregnant, I was a full time student and working part time at a crap job. In March 2013 I quit my job because it was proving detrimental to my pregnancy and I needed to focus on graduating. I graduated in May 2013 and haven't "worked" since. I don't like that last sentence because I may not have been working for a pay check or a diploma but I was working on building a human AND getting our lives ready for baby. Believe it or not, I patched ceilings and repaired furniture while pregnant. I organized ALL of our art supplies (it took an entire month), landscaped, built a closet and purged a ton of junk from the garage. So yeah, I didn't "work" but man oh man, did I work!

Now, I am rejoining the work force and I couldn't be more thrilled. You have to remember when I graduated I was pretty pregnant and no one would hire me. I acquired all these shiny new skills in college that I had to put on the back burner while I became a stay at home mom. Well, I am so glad I waited because not only did I get to spend some seriously special time with Henson but this new job is exactly the type of work I have been looking for! It is in a school, working with kids and focusing on cognitive development. There is a ladder to climb, a young and enthusiastic staff, health care, and it is in my field! I am so proud to have this opportunity.

Of course, I am also terrified. I am terrified to leave my son. I am terrified that I will be even more exhausted. I am terrified that I will never see my husband.

I am so lucky to have had the last ten months to stay home with Henson. I realize many working parents do not get to stay home for so long and I am very, very grateful to have had the time. In my heart, I know things are going to be okay but I also know it is not going to be easy. Figuring out a new routine is going to be confusing for Henson and I just hope it works out. Wish me luck and thanks for all the support you have shown me and my family. Keep in touch because I am sure things are about to get very, very interesting. Thanks for looking. Love, Ms. Kate.